Railway-signal.



J. P. GOLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. ALE'PLVIGATION FILED APR.14, 1913.

- Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. P. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1913*.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

I INVENTOR WITNESSES W 62 i -0LUMHIA PLANOURAPH CD..\\'ASHINGTDN. D c.

i no STATES PATENT canon.

JOHN IE. COLEMAN, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEUNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR-PORA'IION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed April 14, 1913. Serial No. 760,893.

and particularly to devices for holding a signal in the position orpositions to which it is moved against its bias.

I will describe one form of railway signal embodying my invention, andwill then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View showing in section oneform of a railway signal mechanism having applied thereto one form ofholding device embodying my invention, the semaphore being re moved.Fig. 2 is a View, showing in front elevation, 21 case for the mechanismof Fig. 1 together with a semaphore signal operated by the mechanism.Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theviews.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 27 is an outside signal case (only thefront portion of which is shown in Fig. 1) within'which is mounted agear-inclosing casing 13. The casing 13 is, as here shown, fixed to thefront of case 27 by means of bolts 13. Mounted in suitable bearings inthe casing 13 is a shaft 10 which projects through a suitable hole 4 inthe case 27, and to the projecting end of which a semaphore 100 isfixed. The semaphore 100 is shown only in Fig. 2. This semaphore isbiased by gravity to the horizontal or danger position, and is moved toone or more other positions by means here inafter explained. In theparticular arrangement here shown, the semaphore is moved upwardly to acaution and a clear position, as indicated in dash lines in Fig. 2, butit is understood that the mechanism may equally well be arranged for thesemaphore to be moved downwardly from the horizontal position tov itsother positions of indication.

Fixed to the casing 13 is a cylindrical box 37 within which is journaleda spindle 15.

The spindle 15 is connected with the sema phore 100 by means of suitablegearing which, as here shown, comprises a segmental gear wheel 26 fixed011 the shaft 10, a pinion 2a and a gear wheel 23 both fixed on a shaft25 journaledin the casing 13, a pinion 22 and a gear wheel 21 rigidlyconnected and both mounted on ball bearings carried on the shaft 10, anda pinion 17 mounted on the spindle l5.

Mounted in the box 37 is an electric motor M, which is employed to movethe semaphore 100 from its danger position to its caution and clearpositions The rotating member 11 of this motor is mounted freely on thespindle 15 but is operatively connected therewith by means of a ratchetdevice B. This ratchet device is so arranged that when the motor is tomove the semaphore 100, the rotating member 11 isoperatively connectedwith the spindle 15, but that the motor member 11 may rotate backwardwithout an accompanying rotation of the spindle 15. It will be seen thatby means of this ratchet device, the motor member 11 is rotatedbackwardly while the semaphore 100 is returning toward its dangerposition, but that when the semaphore is stopped during this movementthe motor member 11 is left free to rotate idly until its momentum isabsorbed, thereby avoiding injury to this member due to sudden stoppage.Also, it will be seen that by causing the motor member 11 to rotatebackwardly during movement of the semaphore 100 toward danger position,the motor may, if desired, be employed to check the momentum of themoving parts as the arm 100 approaches the caution and the dangerpositions. Several means are known in the art by which this function maybe accomplished. Mounted also in the box 37 is a holding device H thepurpose of which is to hold the semaphore 100in the caution and clearpositions. This holding device comprises a stator 29 and a rotor 18. Thestator 29 is formed of soft iron laminations suitably clamped togethereight in number, upon which poles is placed a stator winding 31, thewinding being so arranged that the polarity of the poles 50 isalternately north and south. This windmg is energized from a suitablesource of alternating current at such times as the act upon the crank 5tending to holding device H is to hold the signal. The rotor 48 isformed of soft iron laminations held between two copper end rings 30 andmounted on a spider 12, which spider is mounted on the spindle 15 and isoperatively connected therewith in a manner hereinafter explained.Embedded in the laminations of the rotor 48 are a plurality of copperbars 52, the ends of which are electrically connected with the end rings30. The number of these bars is equal to the number of stator poles, andthe bars are equally spaced around the rotor.

The action of the holding device in hold-- ing the signal is due to thefact that when the winding 31 is energized, the magnetic flux from poles50 tends to hold the rotor in such position that the bars 52 areopposite the middle points of the poles 50, because this is the positionin which no current is induced in the bars 52; considerable force isrequired to move the rotor from this position, and the required forceincreases as the bars approach the edges of the poles 50.

Operatively connected with shaft 25 is a circuit controller 28 forcontrolling the circuits of the motor M and holding device H. Thiscircuit controller may be of any suitable type.

It is desirable that the rotor 48., instead of being rigidly fixed tothe spindle 15, should be resiliently connected therewith. For thisreason, I operatively connect these two parts by means which I will nowexplain.

Fixed to the spindle '15 by means of a pin 3-1 is a crank arm 5, theouter end of which is provided with a hole 35. Passing through this hole35 is a curved rod'6 mounted in two lugs 9 and 10 provided on oppositelegs of the spider 12. The size of the hole 35 is such that it passesfreely over the rod 6. The radius of curvature of the rod measured fromthe center of spindle 15 is substantially equal to the radius of thecentral point of hole 35, so that the crank 5 does not at any time touchthe rod 6. The rod 6 is properly located with respect to crank 5 by twocotter pins 36 passing through the rod, and the rod is held in thislocation by two nuts 32, 33, screwed on the threaded ends of the rod.These nuts are held from coming off by two other cotter pins 36 passingthrough the rod close to the nuts. Mounted on the rod 6 on oppositesides of the crank 5 are two coiled springs 7 and 8. One end of each ofthese springs abuts against a washer 38 which in turn bears against thecrank 5, and the other end of each spring abuts against another washer39, which in turn bears against cotter pin 36. The springs 7 and 8 areunder compression, hence they hold it at substantially the middle pointof rod 6.

The operation of the resilient connection which I have just explained,is as follows:

When the semaphore 100 is moved by the motor M from the danger(horizontal) position to the caution (inclined) position, the motor isdeenergized by circuit controller 28 shortly before the caution positionis reached, so that the momentum of the moving parts is substantiallyarrested by the time the semaphore reaches the caution position. Just asthe caution position is reached, the winding 31 of the holding device His energized from a suitable source of alternating current through themedium ofcircuit controller 28, and the rotor as of the holding deviceimmediately attempts to assume such position that its bars 52 are eachopposite the middle point of a stator pole 5O.- If at this time themomentum of the moving parts has not been entirely overcome, the spindle15 will attempt to draw the rotor 48 beyond this middle position, and ifthe rotor were rigidly. connected. with the spindle the rotor might bedrawn so far from the middle position that it would not be held by thecorresponding pair of poles 50, and the semaphore 100 would continue tomove until the rotor bars 52 had shifted to points opposite the nextpoles 50. Because, however, of the resilient connection between therotor and the spindle, whatever momentum the moving parts might haveafter the winding 31 is energized can be expended in compressing oneofthe springs 6 or 7 so that the rotor 48 remains in substantially suchposition that its bars 52 are opposite the middle points of poles 50,and after the momentum of the moving parts is absorbed the semaphore 100settles back to such posi-' tion that the crank 5 is midway between theends of rod 6.

WVhen the semaphore 100 is moved from the caution to the clear(vertical) position, the operation of the resilient connection when thesemaphore reaches the clear position is the same as the scribed for thecaution position.

'lVhen the semaphore 100 is returning from x the clear position and isto be stopped and held in the caution position, the momentum of themoving parts is arrested by some suitable means so that when 100 reachesthe caution position the parts are substantially at rest.

The holding dethe semaphore operation just device H is energized just asthe caution position is reached, and if the momentum of the moving partshas not been completely absorbed by the extraneous means, the remainderof the momentum is absorbed by the compression of one of the springs 70r8; the spring then compressed being the one which was not compressedwhen the semaphore was stopped at caution or clear posi tion duringagainst gravity.

I do not make any claim forthe holding device comprising the stator. 29and the the movement of the signal 7 rotor 4.8, this being thesubject-matter of a co:pending application filed by John D. Taylor onAugust 28, 1912, Serial No. 717,436.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of railwaysignal embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, meansfor moving it to another position; and an inductive holding device forholding the signal in the latter position comprislng a stator, a rotoroperatively connected with the signal and resilient means interposedbetween the signal and the rotor.

2. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, meansfor moving it to another position; and an inductive holding deviceforholding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator and arotor, means interposed between the rotor and the signal for operativelyconnecting the two and for permitting oscillation of the rotor through alimited angle independently of the signal, and means for biasing therotor to the middle point of said angle of oscillation. a

3. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, meansfor moving it to another position, a spindle operatively connected withthe signal; a holding device for holding the signal in the latterposition comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted freelyon the spindle, a crank arm fixed on the spindle, and two springscarried by the rotor and abutting respectively against opposite sides ofthe crank arm, whereby the rotor is resiliently connected with thesignal.

4. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, meansfor moving it to another position, a spindle operatively connected withthe signal; a holding device for holding the signal in the latterposition comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted freelyon the spindle, two lugs fixed on the rotor, a curved rod mounted insaid lugs the center of curvature of the rod being in the axial line ofthe spindle, a crank arm fixed on the spindle and having a hole throughwhich the said rod passes freely, and two coiled springs on said rod oneon each side of the crank arm, each of which springs abuts against thecrank arm and one or the other of said lugs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN P. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

P. U'rnn, A. HERMAN WEGNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

